Holy Cross Senior Madeline Gresh Takes Top Honor in Gaithersburg Book Festival Short Story Contest

Gaithersburg, Md. – May 18, 2015 – Madeline Gresh, a Rockville, Md. senior at the Academy of the Holy Cross, took first prize in the 2015 Gaithersburg Book Festival short story contest for high school students with her story, “Waiting.”

Second prize went to Yorktown High School (Arlington, Va.) sophomore Elizabeth Woolford, for her story, “Inside.” Third prize and the Fan Favorite went to “Teddy Bear,” written by Jenna Schwartzman, a sophomore from Oakton (Va.) High School. The top three winners received $100, $50 and $25 gift certificates, respectively, and the Fan Favorite , which was determined based on voting on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website, received a $25 gift certificate.  Prizes were provided by the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus.

The winners were announced Saturday at the sixth annual Gaithersburg Book Festival.

Author Sarah McCoy – a New York Times, USA Today and international best-selling author of the novels “The Baker’s Daughter,” “The Time It Snowed In Puerto Rico,” and her most recent  “The Mapmaker’s Children,” released this month – served as the final judge.

“I spent a week pouring over these stories with great delight. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the work of such young, creative minds,” McCoy said. “All of these finalists are to be commended on boldly penning their hearts on the page. It’s a daring act that requires faith, hope, and moxy— in addition to talent! The 2015 winners were chosen based on their artfulness of prose, clarity of narrative structure, poignant subject matter, and overall storytelling effect.”

Contest finalists also included:

• Samantha Anderson – Anderson Academy, Newport News, Va.
• William Choi – Sidwell Friends School, grade 11, Washington, D.C.
• Riley Corboy – Gaithersburg High School, grade 12, Gaithersburg, Md.
• Aline Dolinh – Oakton High School, grade 11, Oakton, Va.
• Samuel Enriquez – homeschooled, grade 10, Annapolis, Md.
• Mary Kasputis – Oakton High School, grade 10, Oakton, Va.
• Maggie Leon – Gaithersburg High School, grade 12, Gaithersburg, Md.
• Allison Marie McGlone – Yorktown High School, grade 10, Arlington, Va.
• Alexander McLaughlin – Grace Brethren Christian School, grade 9, Upper Marlboro, Md.
• Kevin Robinson – Oakton High School, grade 10, Oakton, Va.
• Annika La Vina – Walter Johnson High School, grade 11, Kensington, Md.

The contest drew entries from public, private, and homeschooled students from 12 jurisdictions throughout D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Jurisdictions included the Maryland counties of Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s; the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Prince William and Spotsylvania, as well as the City of Newport News, and Washington, D.C.

The finalists’ stories are available online at: https://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/gbf-programs/short-story-entries/

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About the Gaithersburg Book Festival

The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual all-day celebration of books, writers and literary excellence. Now in its sixth year, the Festival has become one of the premier literary events in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The 2015 Festival was held Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the grounds of City Hall in Olde Towne Gaithersburg, Md. Other activities include author appearances, discussions and book signings; writing workshops; a Children’s Village; onsite sales of new and used books; literary exhibitors and food, drink, ice cream and more. Admission and shuttle service from Shady Grove Metro and Lakeforest Mall are FREE. For more information please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.